Would-be UNC Law 1L is soliciting donations to pay for law school

[Anne]

So I was reading Above The Law yesterday, and came across this article: "Would-Be Law Student Solicits Donations to Attend UNC Law School"  (http://abovethelaw.com/2010/05/would-be-law-student-solicits-donations-to-go-to-unc-law-school/) -- incidentally, I'd also seen it as a small blip on the ABA Journal, but didn't think it would pick up enough steam to actually be widely written about.

In any case, here's the Cliff's Notes on the situation: Sarah (accepted to UNC law) is NOT a big believer in taking out student loans. Therefore, Sarah (a self-employed German translator) has decided that she will not take out loans to pay for her law school education. Instead, she has taken to the internet and is asking the world to donate and help her pay for law school. In return, Sarah will do a few things: 1. Create a scholarship fund for other students with whatever money remains after she has paid for all three years of her schooling; 2. She will help the "little people" (“If I do become an attorney, I will have in mind that other people got me to where I am,” she says. “I won’t be in a position where I have to take any job to pay my bills. I will have more flexibility to take cases I’m passionate about because I’m not tied to that burden.”).

If I sound a little skeptical, it's because I am. There are a few things that make me raise an eyebrow:

1. Sarah is asking for a total of $105k. However, tuition for in-state NC residents (which it appears Sarah is) is only around $16k a year. Multiply it by three and you get $48k, not $105k. However, when you look at the UNC Law tuition and fees site (http://www.law.unc.edu/admissions/financing/tuition/default.aspx), you see that the total projected expenses for in-state residents (which include not just tuition, but also books, living expenses, travel, and miscellaneous), add up to about $35k/year. Suddenly, her $105k figure becomes clear. Sarah doesn't just want people to help pay her tuition. She wants people to pay everything--including "travel" and "miscellaneous" expenses. I don't know. I'm perfectly willing to help someone pay for their tuition, but paying for a stranger's late-night pizza cravings is not exactly the same thing.

2. (And this may sound a little mean) Why should she get a free ride when everyone else has to pay? I understand WHY she wants to be debt-free--heck, don't we all want to be debt-free?--but it seems to me that the way to get money to pay for your education is to work for it, save it, and then use it to pay. The kindness of strangers should only be abused so far.

3. All we get for a donation is a promise she'll help the little guy? What happens when she gets an offer her 3L year from a BigLaw firm offering her the big bucks? Will she turn them down? I'd like to think so, but who's to say her ideals will hold out? Everyone wants to save the world, but a big paycheck can be a pretty persuasive thing, methinks...particularly when it dawns on her that she won't have to pay any of that big paycheck towards loan repayment.

So, that's my take on it. What do you guys think? Is there anyone out there who disagrees with me? I'd actually like to have a good debate about this one--it's very interesting.

[Trex555]

I think she is full of crap. It's all a bunch of promises with no way to know she will do what she says. If she is working for biglaw in 8 years, you think she will quit that job and start helping the little guy?

I totally agree with you on this one--why should I pay for her pizza and beer.

I'll bet she won't refund any donations she does get, meaning she's going to get some money here. She's what gives lawyers a bad name, and I have one word for her attempt: scummy.

[SteelyDan]

I saw this too when I look at ATL yesterday. I laughed. I read her blog where she said she'd already had 3 people donate--it's gotta be her best friend, mother, and father. Who else would give money to this? I agree with Anne, why should she get a free ride when the rest of us don't???

[Anne]

I'm glad to see I'm not completely heartless and my skepticism wasn't unfounded. I just don't understand why you would take to the streets (not literally, of course) and ask that others pay for something that obviously benefits only you. It's not like donating to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society or the ASPCA, where the funds go towards the greater good--here it only goes to give her a law degree.

She also posts the letters she's sent to various admissions offices when either declining offers of admission or asking for a deferral--when I read them, all I could think of was the massive guilt trip she was trying to lay on these people, LOL. Check it out:

Deferral Request Letter to UNC: http://debt-free-law-student.blogspot.com/2010/04/deferral-request-to-unc-ch.html
Decline Letter to Campbell Law: http://debt-free-law-student.blogspot.com/2010/03/decline-seat-letter-to-campbell.html


How much do you guys think she'll end up raising?

[Amby]

She has already raised my ire, so that is something.

[Anne]

She has already raised my ire, so that is something.

Amby! I was hoping you'd pitch in to this. Please, let your fire and brimstone commence.

[JurisDad]

While I would never personally go with this approach, cheers to her for thinking outside of the box and trying to avoid debt! I doubt she will raise anywhere near her goal, but it can't hurt to try! It's not as if she is forcing anyone to contribute.

[Anne]

It's hard to argue with your logic, JurisDad, but my point is not so much the foolishness of those that donate or believe that she will do what she says with her degree, but rather the sheer brazenness of the girl at asking for this in the first place--and not just for her tuition, but for her mortgage payments, too! I guess I'm just a believer in making things happen for you ON YOUR OWN, and not through anyone else. If she's hell-bent on not having student loans, then she should apply for scholarships, work her butt off, save like crazy, and pay for school that way.

[Trainwreck]

A few of my favorite comments from her site:

"My goal is to raise enough money to finance my own education with complete transparency and use anything that remains to establish a scholarship fund to help other qualified students get a debt-free education."

Yes, I'm sure that the "anything that remains" portion would be mighty tiny. Kind of like how the government makes sure to spend any money they get, I suspect there would be a run on new clothes and fancy trips if there was a significant amount left as time ran out.


"taking out student loans at the currently high interest rates goes against my personal beliefs and convictions concerning financial responsibility."

Taking out loans goes against her personal beliefs, but begging apparently does not.


"Should my efforts prove to be unsuccessful, I would decline my seat next spring."

But not a word about refunding any money collected. Very smooth.


Hypocritical bitch.

[Anne]

"taking out student loans at the currently high interest rates goes against my personal beliefs and convictions concerning financial responsibility."

Taking out loans goes against her personal beliefs, but begging apparently does not.

LOL!

[Trainwreck]

Also, there was this gem: "Savings that I had intended to use for law school have unexpectedly had to be used to cover higher income taxes (I am self-employed) and closing costs to refinance my home."

Yes, I made a lot more money than I thought, none of which I saved, so I had to use my savings to pay taxes. Now, since I am so fiscally responsible, can you please give me your hard-earned money since I can't manage mine?

Pathetic.

[SteelyDan]

Also, there was this gem: "Savings that I had intended to use for law school have unexpectedly had to be used to cover higher income taxes (I am self-employed) and closing costs to refinance my home."

Yes, I made a lot more money than I thought, none of which I saved, so I had to use my savings to pay taxes. Now, since I am so fiscally responsible, can you please give me your hard-earned money since I can't manage mine?

Pathetic.

That is too funny. That is exactly what I thought. I really like the fact that she is asking ppl to pay for her morgage. This whole thing cracks me up.

[Trainwreck]

A final gem: "For those of you curious about the areas of law I'm interested in, that would be immigration law, corporate law - particularly to serve German speaking clients (there is quite a demand for American German-speaking attorneys, yet only a limited supply) and general civil litigation (I hope to be able to help "normal" people involved in disputes who do not qualify for legal aid but are also not able to afford legal services - i.e. most people who qualify as middle class."

Consider that in connection with this quote: “If I do become an attorney, I will have in mind that other people got me to where I am,” she told McClatchy. “I won’t be in a position where I have to take any job to pay my bills. I will have more flexibility to take cases I’m passionate about because I’m not tied to that burden.”

Yes, because the little people all need corporate lawyers. Plus, one always meets high demand by charging really low prices. And finally, I'm betting she'll be amazingly passionate about translating that German corporation's health insurance contract language. I know I would be really, really, really passionate about that too.  

[Anne]

Ut-oh! I think she did a Google search on herself and found the piles and piles of sites where the ABA Journal and Above the Law articles had been reposted, and has read the comments on them all (i.e., now she knows that everyone thinks she's being a little greedy -- and more than a little naive). There is a new post on her blog now:

"I've been doing some online research and discovered that the N&O and ABA articles have spread through the Internet like wildfire - accompanied by a plethora of extremely unkind and vulgar comments - many seemingly by disgruntled attorneys and law students who have already gone into massive debt. Those so eager to criticize me obviously do not know me and have not read my blog in full. Even so, those who are quick to judge make fools of themselves by displaying their ignorance. Apparently no one ever taught them that if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. Instead of rushing to judgment, why not get your facts straight and contact me directly?

"One point that so many people seem to be missing is my desire and intention to start a debt-free scholarship fund to help others get a higher education without going into debt. Regardless of whether I choose to go to law school, this is one goal that I hope to pursue.

"I work extremely hard as a translator and make a decent living. I actually love what I do and the flexibility that self-employment affords me. If I were to get a law degree I would want to continue to be self-employed as a provider of translation and legal services."

[Trainwreck]

"One point that so many people seem to be missing is my desire and intention to start a debt-free scholarship fund to help others get a higher education without going into debt. Regardless of whether I choose to go to law school, this is one goal that I hope to pursue."

Uh-huh, sure, after she pays herself for law school. If she can't cover her costs, I wonder how hard she will pursue that for other people.

I read her whole blog, and I still have the same position I have stated in other posts. Her approach has been bugging me all day. Comparing her statements makes it clear that there are conflicts in her position. Her late, lame apology does nothing to sway me!